Archive for the ‘Treadmill’ Category

This current training cycle is just not going well. First I was dealing with some mysterious food pain, that thankfully subsided after taking some rest and getting new shoes. But sadly, that’s not the end of the story yet. Last Monday, after this year’s longest run (for the record, 5.85 miles!), my right shin started to hurt. As the pain was still there two days later, I decided to take a week off of running. I really don’t need a case of shin splints right now!

What was the cause of the pain? I can only guess, but it was probably a combination of inconsistent training, increasing my mileage too fast (that means, too fast for me!), and a rather long run on hard pavement. Maybe it was also related to a little supplement fail during the past few weeks. Who knows?

My angry shin was also one of the reasons why I changed into sneakers half-way through Saturday’s wedding party. No, they did not match my dress, yes, people were making comments about my checkerboard sneaks, and no, I didn’t give a damn!

Anyway, my legs felt a lot better today, so I attempted a short treadmill run tonight after work to test things out. So far, my legs are feeling quite alright. In the next few days I’ll do a few more short runs either on the treadmill or on soft trails. That’s not exactly an ideal preparation for my upcoming 10k race, which is in less than two weeks, and I have no idea how I’m going to survive that race, but I’ll just hope for the best and try to finish it with a smile on my face.

Apparently, I’m that girl who likes to exercise while others are partying and getting drunk in bright daylight. Just like last year, when I ran straight through a Carnival party. Don’t get me wrong, I do love to party, having fun with my girls, but people are just plain crazy during Carnival season, and I’m not really into that.

But obviously, I’m not the only one who wanted to get sweaty today, my gym was packed! Anyway, I bought a pair of new sneakers last week and wanted to test them out, so I did a short run on the treadmill.

The Stats:

Distance: 1 mile (1,6 km)

Time: 11:20 minutes

Average pace: 11:20 min/mile

Feeling: Speedy

Verdict on the new shoes: No good for running! But I’m going to keep them for other indoor activities like Zumba, Squash, Pilates, and home workouts. I was in the mood for more sweating, but didn’t want to damage my feet with those shoes, so I grabbed a magazine and hopped onto a stationary bike.

The Stats:

Distance: 10 miles (16 km)

Time: 38:00 minutes

Average pace: 15.8 mph

Feeling: Sweaty

After that I stretched a little and called it a day. And that’s how I celebrated Rose Monday this year.

I really don’t understand this whole running thing. One day, it feels great and I’m actually having fun, like last Friday. And then, a few days later, I try to run one easy mile on the treadmill, and I want to throw up. How is that even possible?!

Last Friday I had an awesome Lunch Break Run. It was freezing, so I didn’t push myself too hard, but I ended up running a little bit faster than usual. Eh?

The Stats:

Distance: 3.75 miles (6,0 km)

Time: 42:10 minutes

Average pace: 11:14 min/mile

Feeling: Freezing

Our mild winter is definitely over now, and it’s getting colder and colder every day, with highs between 10 and 20 °F. So, instead of running outside, I went to the gym today. First I did a short warm-up on the bike, then I switched to the treadmill for a few easy miles. After one mile I gave up because I felt so miserable.

The Stats:

Distance: 1 mile (1,6 km)

Time: 11:30 minutes

Average pace: 11:30 min/mile

Feeling: Nauseous

I’ve always been a science person, trying to find the logic behind everything. But to me running just doesn’t make any sense. And this bothers me, a lot!

After an exceptionally dry and mild November, we are now experiencing some typical German fall weather. That means 30 to 40 °F (-1 to 5 °C), rain, and strong winds or even storms. Part of me is wishing for some snow, but on the other hand snow and ice free streets make my morning commute much easier. (Edit: It’s snowing right now! But it probably won’t last. Sigh!)

As running outdoors isn’t much fun at the moment (see above), I’ve moved most of my workouts indoors. And here’s my problem: I hate running on the treadmill!

My biggest problem with the treadmill is that it’s just so freaking hard. No matter how slow I run, my heart rate quickly reaches 170 bpm and gets even higher whenever I try to go a little faster.

That’s why I’m in a dilemma right now. Biking is actually my favorite kind of cardio, so I’m tempted to just hop on one of the stationary bikes every time I’m at the gym. Plus, I can watch TV with sound on the bikes, that’s an additional bonus. On the other hand, I’d like to keep running through the winter months, so that I don’t have to start from scratch in spring.

Well, if I can’t choose between biking and treadmill running, I’ll simply do both! Just like yesterday.

The Stats (Biking):

Distance: 6.2 miles (10,0 km)

Time: 22:00 minutes

Average pace: 16.9 mph

Feeling: Awesome

The Stats (Running):

Distance: 1.0 mile (1,6 km)

Time: 11:20 minutes

Average pace: 11:20 min/mile

Feeling: Not so awesome

That’s a compromise I can live with. 😉

What do you prefer, biking or (treadmill) running? Are you tough enough to run outside through the winter months?

Today’s Lunch Break Run was just fantastic! Can anybody explain to me, why running on the treadmill is so hard, while running outdoors is so much fun? I don’t get it. Maybe it’s because chatting with my co-workers distracts me from any discomfort and motivates me to keep going?

Whatever it was, I’m very thankful for today’s run. It was sunny but a bit chilly when we set out, about 40°F (4°C), but I was prepared and had packed my warm running gear. Sadly, I had forgotten to pack a towel, though, so no shower for this sweaty girl. Sorry, guys!

The Stats:

Distance: 3.85 miles (6,2 km)

Time: 44:00 minutes

Average pace: 11:25 min/mile

Feeling: Talkative

This weekend we’re having a guest, so I’m going to spend the rest of the night in the kitchen. Here we go!

As the temperatures are getting colder – it was freezing this morning – it’s time to move my workouts back to the gym. I think I haven’t been to the gym in months! Being back actually felt great, just like coming home … and that’s coming from a former gym hater! So I hopped on the treadmill today, to get a few miles in.

The Stats:

Distance: 2.0 miles (3,2 km)

Time: 23:30 minutes

Average pace: 11:45 min/mile

Feeling: Sweaty

Short and slow. That was a tough run. Looks like my body has forgotten how to run and sweat? Whatever. After being literally obsessing with getting faster the past few months, which totally took all the fun out of running, I’ve decided that I won’t care about my pace and mileage anymore. I’m currently not training for any races, so I’ll just try to keep moving and having fun.